They moved the gazebo from the original house to the gardens of Hellbrunn Palace, a beautiful park.
We then began a scenic drive through the mountains, to the chapel where the wedding scenes were filmed. The views were beautiful.
The inside of the palace was just as pretty.
We continued on and passed the fortress below for the first of many times during our trip. It is quite impressive.
The views outside our window were just beautiful, and the air so crisp and clear.
We were all looking forward to today as this was one of the things we were most excited about: Sound of Music tour!
In preparation, we had a sing-along to the movie the night before we left, and listened to the sound track several times on the long drive.
And then it was time!!!
It is a beautiful house that is now a hotel.
First stop was the gazebo. For other Sound of Music fans, it needs no explanation.
The outside of the Basilica was not used in the movie, but was very pretty.
We then made it to Saint Michaels Basilica, where the wedding scenes were filmed. It was smaller than it appears in the movie, but just as pretty.
Next stop was by a lake, across from the house used to film some of the outside scenes.
We continued on and stopped at a scenic overlook of Lake Mondsee. It was just beautiful.
We then found another great place for lunch...
They keep it locked now because too many people injured themselves trying to recreate this iconic scene.
Amanda was disappointed; I was thankful to avoid a trip to the ER. 😊
We listened and sang along to the music as we drove through the beautiful countryside. It was over all too soon.
Next up: a quick stop outside the real house of the Von Trapp family, which has also been turned into a hotel. Amanda immediately began checking their rates. 😊
We stopped at this adorable chapel, where our guide surprised us with a sing along to Edelweiss. It was super cheesy, and probably the only song he can play on the guitar, but we loved it.
We then stopped to see Mirabell Palace.
Several scenes were filmed in the gardens, including Do-Re-Me 🎶
I had to fight the urge to belt out The Hills are Alive 🎶
We had tickets for a 2nd ride, but Glenn and I decided to take the lift back down so we could better enjoy the views. I’d say it was a good decision.
This is my favorite picture; it captures the beauty and charm of Salzburg.
The ride down also gave us the opportunity to take some quick pictures of the kids on their way down.
It really was a blast, but the day wasn’t done yet. We drove in to Salzburg to walk around a bit before dinner.
Not surprising, I was a tad nervous about the slide and volunteered to go last so I wouldn’t hold anyone up.
I enjoyed a nice, easy ride down and was happy to reach the bottom safely.
Everything was green and lush, with majestic mountains in the background, as far as the eye could see. It was incredible.
The views from the lift were breathtaking. By the time we reached the top, my neck hurt from turning around the whole way.
Once at the top, we took advantage of a great photo op, before taking the slide down.
The river below is the picturesque divider of Old Town and New town Salzburg, and gave us a lovely view of the sun setting.
We crossed over the Love Locks Bridge, where lovers place a lock \240inscribed with their initials on the bridge, and then throw the key into the river.
I was bummed we didn’t have one.
And like the other cities we’ve visited, plazas were scattered about, filled with people enjoying the many things the city has to offer. It didn’t feel touristy at all.
It was another really great day, filled with so many wondrous sights.
We have quickly fallen in love with this area, with its beautiful views and outdoor lifestyle. We saw bikers everywhere; many were much older than us, but in much better shape.
Glenn and I decided if we had to choose a place to live from the places we’ve visited, it would be here. And then vacation in Santorini.
That would be pretty awesome. 😊
Old Town Salzburg was a maze of quaint alleys filled with shops and restaurants.
After a really long, but wonderful day, we enjoyed a late night dinner, with good wine, in a quaint restaurant in Anif.
And then headed out to try our hands at alpine slides.
Guess we’ll just have come back. 😊
